Can acupuncture alleviate depression?
Many find acupuncture relaxing. Some claim it can even lift them from depression. Christina Paige is among those who believes the ancient Chinese practice of puncturing the body with fine needles improved her mood. “After the first session, I noticed an improvement,” Paige said. “And after about three or four sessions, there was a very big improvement.” Paige was part of the University of Arizona’s study on acupuncture. “I was in a chronic state of irritable gloom. I had such a short fuse that it was scary,” she said. “The least little thing would set me off.” Researchers said that like Paige, the majority of the study participants had significant relief from depression after acupuncture treatment. “At the end of the study, all women received the effective treatment, and two-thirds of them were clinically well,” according to the university’s John Allen. “They were noticeably different to themselves and to their family and functioning much better.” Allen said the other third of the stud
